‘Haunted’ cinema screens horror film

Behind the Screen, a short horror film created by Coventry University student and former Leamington resident Ryan Ives, 22, and his course mate Jack Dewar as their final course project, is being screened at the Vue Cinema in Portland Place tomorrow (Friday) from 11pm.

The film follows new employee Al, who, ever since starting, has had strange things happen to him and only him at the cinema.

A co-worker he forms a close bond with, Essie, doesn’t believe his stories and we start to wonder who or what is really being haunted.

Ryan, who has also worked at the cinema for 18 months, said: “The influences I drew on when writing the film were heavily inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining; and that film is the most similar in tone to this film.

People expecting, or even wanting, jump scares and Hollywood gore will not be interested, as that is not really what I enjoy or believe to be a good horror film.

“This is much more about setting, atmosphere and tone, than in loud volume jumps and lots of blood.”

Ryan said he is interested in trying to re-engage with an audience of cinema goers which has been lost among the ‘hoards’ who tend to only watch superhero films and family films.

The event will include some live contributions from actors at various points of the film.

It will also include screenings of other short film projects by those on Ryan’s course, culimating with Behind the Screen

But it will be the setting which will set it apart from other film events.

Ryan said: “The building is actually classified as ‘haunted’. If you look online at anything to do with the cinema and it being haunted there’s usually stories about it.

“Apparently a local widow whose husband gave charitable donations to work including the building of the cinema died around the time of its construction in a car crash. She now reputedly haunts it.

“A few colleagues who have worked there a while have told me stories of smelling perfume in screen one. The maintenance man says he saw someone sat in the screen when he was up a ladder, while another worker said he saw a reflection in the mirror when he worked on the bar once and turned round and no one was there.”

Tickets will be £3.50 for students and £4.50 for adults.